size photos to give to clients

I'm just wondering, what size does everyone give to their clients when they give them the final cd if they do? I usually give them the originally size and I'm just wondering what others thoughts are on this. I'df like to make them smaller but what would be a good size do you think to make all the photos?

Responses

Native size from the camera. With instructions to be careful if they print in different sizes. Don't let the printer crop, do it themselves. Or if they want I will do selected images at a small additional cost.

I constrain my images to 3500 pixels, level 11 compression- JPEG. This gives me an average file size of 2.5MB (some much lower, some higher). It's the file size I am worried about and I have found that 2.5MB is about the best sweet spot I have found. Uploading to an online lab such as MPIX and they tell me they can print a up to a 20x30 image from that file. A few years ago, we even supplied file sizes closer to the 1MB mark and never had any issues. However, I have had issues when trying to supply a larger file. Most people simply don't have the Ram or computer horsepower to cache 500 or more 5MB files. I have even had a few tell me that my current file size (average 2.5MB) chokes their computer. But that's me! YMMV.

Thanks I appreciate the quick responses! I just got a new camera and the files are much larger than my last and Ive just been having some issues with clients saying they are having trouble viewing them so just wondering if the size might be an issue. Im gonna try resizing them smaller and seeing if this helps. Thanks so much

I just recently changed the way that I do this...All of my packages include a disc of wedding images optimized to print best at 8x10(not necessarily cropped to those proportions). I believe the settings that I use are: Longest side - 1500px and 300 DPI. Since most people do not print larger than this on their own and prefer to print large prints through me(I prefer this also because I can have more control over the final quality of a large print), this works. They can also opt for the full resolution photos for an added fee.

Sarah, if you are providing a file of 1500 pixels on the longest side the dpi setting has no effect. If that file is printed at 8x10 it will be 150 dpi (1500/10=150). In general, the dpi/ppi setting does not affect file size unless the export parameters are specified in inches. If you want a file that will print at 300 dpi, then it have to be 3000 pixels on the long side, assuming an 8x10 print.

I do not mean to imply you are doing anything wrong. Please don't take that way. There is a lot of confusion regarding this. In general, dpi has no meaning except for printing and ppi has no meaning unless you are talking sensor or monitor resolution.

My point is that that the setting has no effect, if you are specifying dimensions in pixels. You can confirm this using LR. Pick a file, export it and set the long side to 1500 pixels and the dpi/ppi to 300. Do it again, but this time set the dpi/ppi to 72. Look at the file size of each file you exported. You will find that they are the same. The dpi/ppi setting has no effect.